High shear characterized with 70 knots of bulk shear along with low surface based cape set up a high shear, low cape environment ahead of the trough over the southeastern United States. A distinct line of thunderstorms developed along a surface trough and became strong as the trough swept through the Southeast.
Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.
Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.
The episode as NWS CHS wrote it up.
High shear characterized with 70 knots of bulk shear along with low surface based cape set up a high shear, low cape environment ahead of the trough over the southeastern United States. A distinct line of thunderstorms developed along a surface trough and became strong as the trough swept through the Southeast. Although there was a tornado watch issued for the entire forecast area, all reported damage was contributed to straight-line winds.
The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.
NWS Charleston, SC wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Dec 17, 2:25 PM EST, 20 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON SC 225 PM EST MON DEC 17 2012 .SYNOPSIS... A COLD FRONT WILL MOVE THROUGH THE AREA LATE TONIGHT INTO EARLY TUESDAY WITH HIGH PRESSURE RETURNING THROUGH WEDNESDAY. A STRONGER COLD FRONT WILL THEN PUSH THROUGH LATE THURSDAY BRINGING MUCH COOLER WEATHER THROUGH THE END OF THE WEEK. && .NEAR TERM /UNTIL 6 PM THIS EVENING/... EARLY THIS AFTERNOON...UPDATE TO INCLUDE TORNADO WATCH 684 FOR MOST OF SOUTHEAST GEORGIA AND THE NEARSHORE GEORGIA COASTAL WATERS. THE UPSTREAM LINE OF CONVECTION HAS HELD TOGETHER NICELY AND A DISTINCT MESOSCALE BOUNDARY HAS SET UP IN THIS AREA. THE BOUNDARY STRETCHES SOMEWHERE BETWEEN CLAXTON AND STATESBORO AND EXTENDS A BIT TO THE EAST. TEMPS SOUTH OF THE BOUNDARY ARE IN THE LOW 70S WITH DEWPOINTS APPROACHING THE MID 60S. NORTH OF THE BOUNDARY TEMPS ARE IN THE LOW 60S WITH A CLEAR WIND SHIFT FROM SOUTHERLY TO EASTERLY. 0-6 KM SHEAR VALUES ARE ON THE ORDER OF 70 KTS AND 0-3 KM SHEAR IS APPROACHING 40-45 KTS...WITH SURFACE BASED CAPE VALUES RANGING UP TO AROUND 500 J/KG. THE FAVORED MODE OF CONVECTION WILL BE BOWING LINE SEGMENTS...WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR EMBEDDED LOW TOPPED SUPERCELL STRUCTURES. DAMAGING WINDS AND TORNADOES ARE THE PRIMARY SEVERE WEATHER THREAT IN THE WATCH AREA. && .SHORT TERM /6 PM THIS EVENING THROUGH THURSDAY/... TONIGHT...THE UPPER TROUGH AND ANY ONGOING PRECIP/CONVECTION WILL BE PUSHING OFFSHORE. EXPECT PRECIP TO BE OVER BEFORE MIDNIGHT. MODEL SOUNDINGS AND CROSS SECTIONS SHOW THAT THE LOW LEVEL MOISTURE AND CLOUDS WILL BE SLOW TO SCOUR OUT...WITH MOSTLY CLOUDY SKIES LIKELY TO PERSIST THROUGH EARLY MORNING...THEN PARTLY CLOUDY BY SUNRISE TUESDAY. MIN TEMPS FALLING BACK INTO THE LOWER TO MID 50S...BUT STILL WELL ABOVE NORMAL. TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY...DRY HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD AND BECOME CENTERED OVER THE SOUTHEAST TUESDAY BEHIND A COLD FRONT SHIFTING WELL OFFSHORE. TEMPS WILL GRADUALLY REBOUND THROUGHOUT THE DAY UNDER SUNNY SKIES...IN THE MID/UPPER 60S. OVERNIGHT LOWS WILL RANGE IN THE UPPER 30S INLAND TO MID 40S ALONG THE COAST. DRY CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH WEDNESDAY AS RIDGING PEAKS OVER THE SOUTHEAST AHEAD OF ANOTHER TROUGH OF LOW PRESSURE SHIFTING THROUGH THE CENTRAL UNITED STATES. EXPECT OVERALL TEMPS TO PEAK IN THE UPPER 60S/LOWER 70S UNDER MOSTLY SUNNY SKIES. OVERNIGHT LOWS WILL BE WARMER...IN THE MID 40S INLAND TO MID 50S ALONG THE COAST. THURSDAY...A DEEP LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL MAKE WAY THROUGH THE MIDWEST WITH A SOUTHWARD EXTENDING COLD FRONT INTO THE GULF OF MEXICO. STRONG ISENTROPIC ASCENT AHEAD OF THE FRONT WILL LIKELY LIMIT SFC HEATING POTENTIAL AS CLOUD COVER EXPANDS OVER THE FORECAST AREA. HOWEVER...TEMPS WILL STILL REACH THE LOW 70S ALONG AND AHEAD OF THE COLD FRONT BEFORE IT SWEEPS THROUGH THE SOUTHEAST DURING EVENING HOURS. CHANCES OF SHOWERS WILL PEAK OVER SOUTHEAST SOUTH CAROLINA AND SOUTHEAST GEORGIA AS COLD FROPA OCCURS LATE. && .LONG TERM /THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY/... A STRONG COLD FRONT WILL LIKELY BE SHIFTING THROUGH THE FORECAST AREA LATE THURSDAY INTO EARLY FRIDAY MORNING...BRINGING THE BEST CHANCES OF PRECIP OVER THE LONG TERM. COLD AND DRY HIGH PRESSURE WILL THEN FOLLOW THE FRONT...RESULTING IN TEMPS 10-15 DEGREES COOLER THAN PREVIOUS DAYS. OVERALL TEMPS WILL REMAIN COOL UNDER A ZONAL FLOW PATTERN THROUGH THE WEEKEND...WITH A GRADUAL WARMING OF 1-2 DEGREES EACH DAY. EXPECT OVERALL TEMPS TO BE IN THE MID/UPPER 50S THROUGH EARLY WEEKEND...BEFORE WARMING TO AROUND 60 EARLY NEXT WEEK. OVERNIGHT TEMPS WILL LIKELY REACH THE LOW 30S AWAY FROM COAST FRIDAY...BEFORE GRADUALLY WARMING INTO THE MID 30S TO LOW 40S BY THE BEGINNING OF NEXT WEEK. && .AVIATION /19Z MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY/... THE MOST BIGGEST NEAR TERM CONCERN FOR THE TERMINALS WILL BE THE INCOMING LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS. KSAV HAS THE BEST CHANCE TO SEE THUNDER AND STRONG WINDS SINCE IT IS IN THE MORE UNSTABLE AIR. FOR NOW HAVE ONLY INCLUDED A TEMPO FOR HEAVY RAIN BUT WILL AMEND AS IT BECOMES MORE CLEAR WHETHER OR NOT THUNDER WILL REACH THE TERMINAL. KCHS COULD ALSO SEE A PERIOD OF MODERATE TO HEAVY RAIN AND EVEN SOME THUNDER...THOUGH CONFIDENCE IS LOWER THERE. BEHIND THE LINE OF STORMS AND PRECIP...PLENTY OF LOW LEVEL MOISTURE WILL LINGER THROUGH THE OVERNIGHT AND CEILINGS APPEAR TO BE AN INCREASING CONCERN. GUIDANCE IS HINTING AT LOW END MVFR...HIGH END IFR CIGS FOR A TIME AT BOTH SITES. CHANCES APPEAR BETTER AT KSAV BUT FOR NOW HAVE LEFT BOTH WITH MVFR CIGS AND SCATTERED IFR. SOUNDINGS AND TIME HEIGHTS APPEAR TO LINGER FOR A FEW HOURS AFTER SUNRISE BEFORE DEEP DRYING COMMENCES. LOW END GUSTS POSSIBLE INTO THE AFTERNOON. EXTENDED AVIATION OUTLOOK...VFR CIGS/VSBYS WILL PREVAIL BY TUESDAY AFTERNOON AND PERSIST THROUGH WEDNESDAY...BEFORE DETERIORATING THURSDAY AS A STRONG COLD FRONT APPROACHES FROM THE WEST. PERIODS OF MVFR OR LOWER CIGS/VSBYS ARE POSSIBLE THURSDAY EVENING THROUGH EARLY FRIDAY WITH SHOWERS ALONG AND AHEAD OF THE PASSING COLD FRONT. VFR CIGS/VSBYS WILL THEN RETURN BY EARLY WEEKEND. && .MARINE... AN INCREASING SOUTHWEST PRESSURE GRADIENT WILL RESULT IN LOW END SCA CONDITIONS FOR THE OFFSHORE GA WATERS LATER THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH TUESDAY AFTERNOON. WINDS EXPECTED TO INCREASE TO 15 TO 20 KTS BY THIS AFTERNOON WITH SEAS 3 TO 4 FEET NEAR SHORE...AND BUILDING TO 5 TO 7 FEET OFFSHORE BY LATER THIS AFTERNOON AND PERSISTING THROUGH TONIGHT. WINDS WILL VEER GRADUALLY FROM SW TODAY TO WESTERLY LATER TONIGHT AS THE COLD FRONT MOVES THROUGH THE REGION. TUESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY CONDITIONS WILL BE ONGOING FOR OUTER GEORGIA WATERS BEHIND A COLD FRONT SHIFTING OVER THE WESTERN ATLANTIC. EXPECT WINDS BETWEEN 20-25 KT AND SEAS UP TO 6 FT UNTIL TUESDAY AFTERNOON BEFORE CONDITIONS GRADUALLY IMPROVE WITH HIGH PRESSURE BUILDING OVER THE WATERS THROUGH WEDNESDAY. WINDS/SEAS WILL THEN INCREASE/BUILD AHEAD OF A STRONG COLD FRONT APPROACHING FROM THE WEST THURSDAY. CONDITIONS WILL LIKELY MEET SMALL CRAFT ADVISORIES LEVELS AS THE COLD FRONT SWEEPS OVER THE WATERS THURSDAY EVENING THROUGH FRIDAY MORNING. STRONG COLD AIR ADVECTION BEHIND THE FRONT ALONG WITH A TIGHT PRESSURE GRADIENT MAY PRODUCE FREQUENT GUSTS BETWEEN 30-35 KNOTS OVER WATERS BEYOND 10 NM FROM THE COAST. SHOULD CONDITIONS CONTINUE TO FAVOR THIS SCENARIO...GALE WATCHES OR WARNINGS MAY BE NEEDED LATE THURSDAY INTO EARLY FRIDAY. && .CHS WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... GA...NONE. SC...NONE. MARINE...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY UNTIL 1 PM EST TUESDAY FOR AMZ374. && NEAR TERM...BSH SHORT TERM...DPB LONG TERM...DPB AVIATION...BSH MARINE...DPB/RFM
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON SC 203 PM EST MON DEC 17 2012 AMZ354-GAZ099>101-114>119-137>141-181915- WATERS FROM SAVANNAH GA TO ALTAMAHA SOUND GA OUT 20 NM...INCLUDING GRAYS REEF NATIONAL MARINE SANCTUARY-CANDLER-BULLOCH-EFFINGHAM- TATTNALL-EVANS-INLAND BRYAN-COASTAL BRYAN-INLAND CHATHAM- COASTAL CHATHAM-LONG-INLAND LIBERTY-COASTAL LIBERTY-INLAND MCINTOSH- COASTAL MCINTOSH- 203 PM EST MON DEC 17 2012 ...TORNADO WATCH 684 IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 PM EST THIS EVENING... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR ATLANTIC COASTAL WATERS AND SOUTHEAST GEORGIA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS. TORNADO WATCH. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... PLEASE RELAY ANY REPORTS OF HAZARDOUS WEATHER INCLUDING...BUT NOT LIMITED TO LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS...TORNADOES AND FLOODING TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN CHARLESTON AT 1-888-383-2024. AMZ330-350-352-374-GAZ087-088-SCZ040-042>045-047>052-181915- CHARLESTON HARBOR- WATERS FROM SOUTH SANTEE RIVER TO EDISTO BEACH SC OUT 20 NM- WATERS FROM EDISTO BEACH SC TO SAVANNAH GA OUT 20 NM- WATERS FROM SAVANNAH GA TO ALTAMAHA SOUND GA EXTENDING FROM 20 TO 60 NM-JENKINS-SCREVEN-ALLENDALE-HAMPTON-INLAND COLLETON-DORCHESTER- INLAND BERKELEY-INLAND JASPER-BEAUFORT-COASTAL COLLETON-CHARLESTON- COASTAL JASPER-TIDAL BERKELEY- 203 PM EST MON DEC 17 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR ATLANTIC COASTAL WATERS...SOUTHEAST GEORGIA AND SOUTHEAST SOUTH CAROLINA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS...DEEP MOISTURE AND WARMER AIR WILL CONTINUE TO WORK INTO THE REGION AHEAD OF AN APPROACHING COLD FRONT TODAY. VERY STRONG WIND FIELDS WILL ACCOMPANY THE FRONT AND ENOUGH SURFACE HEATING MAY OCCUR TO KICK OFF A FEW THUNDERSTORMS. ONE OR TWO OF THESE MAY BECOME SEVERE...WITH THE PRIMARY THREAT BEING STRONG DAMAGING WIND GUSTS. THE GREATEST RISK FOR SEVERE STORMS WILL BE THROUGH THE EVENING HOURS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... PLEASE RELAY ANY REPORTS OF HAZARDOUS WEATHER INCLUDING...BUT NOT LIMITED TO LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS...TORNADOES AND FLOODING TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN CHARLESTON AT 1-888-383-2024.
The Charleston,SC radar (KCLX), 90 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 19:45 UTC.
8 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
The Bulloch County 911 Call Center reported a tree down on a power line along Highway 301 South.
The Bulloch County 911 Call Center reported a tree down on Maple Street in Statesboro.
The Liberty County Emergency Manager reported a roof blown off a structure and trees twisted and uprooted at Fort Stewart. Law enforcement reported power lines down on North Main Street and Harrison Drive and a large sign blown down onto a car along East Oglethorpe Highway. Tree debris were also reported on streets in Hinesville.
The public reported several pine trees blown down on power lines along Route 17 near Roebling and Jabez Jones Roads.
The public reported multiple trees blown down near the intersection of Atlanta Road and Daytona Drive. One tree fell on a house.
Savannah media reported a tree down on Little Neck Road.
Broadcast media reported traffic lights blown down at the intersection of King George Blvd and Highway 204.
A 71 mph wind gust was recorded at Hunter Air Field.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Georgia in 2012Every state in 2012This day in weather historyWarnings in Georgia, December 2012
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 426494, 426495, 426510, 426504, 426512, 426513, 426515, 426517.